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DrJeep wrote:I'm tempted to get a really bad 30c and find out what happens when it's squeezed in a vice - I think something might break! But mine is odd - perhaps something has happened to it either in or after the factory.

A good idea to see if we can replicate the look on the wheel arches of your example...just make absolutely sure the model you choose is not another un-recorded variation, imagine trying to explain away the fact we damaged a rare version...

Ghosty.

GHOSTHUNTER wrote:imagine trying to explain away the fact we damaged a rare version...

Just say it was a certain German collector!

I now have an example of the thin brace/thick cab wall with the dull orange colour jib as per the attached lower picture

I have also discovered another mixed wheel variation - it is very playworn but an interesting find as it has thin wheels on the 4th axle as well as on the 3rd ( the other 2 mixed wheel versions I have shown previously have either 1 or 2 thin wheels just on the 3rd axle)

This one has the 2 minute casting pips on the inside of the cab - these are located at the middle section of the top of the rear cab wall where it meets the roof. It doesn't have the base protusion on the top side of the base between the 2 casting rings.

Picture of the mixed wheel variant as per below

Happy hunting

Sebastian

Hi there !
Found some more casting differences at the boom.
There are booms with double casting ridges and single ridges at the lower part, as seen in the pics. The one with the single ridge must be the earlier one, as my crane without the base ridge has the single ridged boom.
More casting differences on the inside. But these ones are more "Schrödinger differences" (Schrödingers cat in the box, you know), as they cannot be detected at a intact model. Here the comparison of thick cab ridge /thin cab wall on the left, thin cab ridge and thick cab wall on the right. From the inside you can see a small casted triangel on the model with thin cab wall, which disappeared apparendly on the thick cab wall version. And here my model without baseplate ridge, which I found a few weeks ago. Very happy about that.

My two models with no brace : one with double casting ridges and one with single ridges at the lower part. Hardly to see but with my glasses and magnifying glass good to see. Thanks, another variation for the list.
Will check the rest later on.

As there hasn't been any recent posts on this thread I thought I would post another model

This one is just slightly different in colour shading in that the body is a glossy green whilst the crane is a semi matt 'burnt' orange colour

Sebastian

It's been a while, but I've had another go at the 30c listing. What's new?

• - I've acquired another couple of cranes with the thin cab wall. Both have the baseplate with a beam across the front axle, suggesting this was an early change. But I also have a thick-walled 30c with the baseplate with two plates, so the earlier plate was still around for a while.
  
  - no-one has shown a turquoise / mint green 30c with the thick cab wall. I think this variant did not exist (unless someone has one, ideally play worn?)
  
  - on the other hand, I think it's still possible that the turquoise crane could come with the beam base, because both bases were in use on the thin walled 30c, so I've left this one in, just in case one turns up.
  
  - we've seen that some crane jibs have double casting ridges. Kurt (Pierkemimi) has both on the braceless early 30c, so it seems that there were two mouldings for the jib throughout production.
  
  - we've also seen some internal changes to the jib, beautifully illustrated by Paelzermaen. I've assumed that these are co-incident with the thicker bearing surface but this may not be right.

I've assumed here that the thicker jib bearing surface is also linked to the unpainted rivet, but it's easily possible that there are cranes with unpainted rivets and thin bearings. The unpainted rivet obviously reflects a change in the painting process, with the inside of the jib also having a thinner coat.

Apart from the turquoise crane with the beam base, the only variation we haven't seen is the tow-guided final version with thick wheels and a red hook. Hooks are easily changed, but as this version is listed in early catalogues it seems highly likely to be a factory-produced variation.

I haven't included different shades of orange, though the colour does vary. The orange is also prone to fading. I haven't included the casting protrusion in the inside of the base because I don't know which variations it's on - I don't have one with this. I've removed my suspect wider wheel arch version until someone finds another (my new braceless crane has normal wheel arches).

This one has a semi matt green finish - I don't think this is paint fade as the colour is consistent all over including the base

Happy collecting

Sebastian

Do we know why axles 2 and 3 run through elongated holes in the housing while axles 1 and 4 run through holes.

I have taken a detail of Sebastian's fine image and added yellow highlights to indicate what I mean.


Put some sponge above these axles and you a little bit of suspension!

Ghosthunter.

GHOSTHUNTER wrote:Do we know why axles 2 and 3 run through elongated holes in the housing while axles 1 and 4 run through holes.

Good question! I think it’s just to keep all four axles on the ground while allowing for manufacturing tolerances, especially as the axles are attached to two separate castings that are riveted together.

The 17d Hoveringham is similar: it started with plastic springs on the central axles but these were soon dropped, presumably to save money and when someone realised that gravity performs much the same function at zero cost. The Hoveringham was released in 1963 so this had all worked through by the 1965 launch of the Faun.